Chapter 209: Chapter 209 Strategic Alliances and Buried Pride
Author
Elara was halfway home when her phone buzzed with a text from Hannah.
Hannah: [Guess who’s getting arranged mated]
Hannah: [Zack Blackwood]
Hannah: [To Vanessa Taylor]
Elara read the messages and let out a short laugh.
"What?" Nancy asked, glancing over from the driver’s seat.
"Nothing. I just figured out why Vanessa gave us the runaround today."
Nancy raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Zack Blackwood is her new fiancé."
Nancy’s mouth fell open. "You are kidding."
"Nope."
Elara leaned back in her seat and stared out the window. "Keep pushing on Taylor Capital. But do not drop the other two options. If those fall through, we find more."
"Got it."
--
Meanwhile,Vanessa parked her car and walked into a French restaurant on the Upper East Side.
A woman was already sitting at the table near the window.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"
Quinn looked up and smiled. "No, I just sat down. It has been forever. You look great."
Vanessa felt her cheeks warm. "Stop. I did not think you would actually come back. I figured we would meet again overseas somewhere."
They had been college classmates. Different programs, but they met at a mutual friend’s party and hit it off. After graduation, life pulled them in different directions, but they never lost touch.
"Should I call you Professor Reed now?" Vanessa teased.
Quinn laughed. "Then I guess I should call you Vice President Taylor."
They both cracked up.
Vanessa picked up her wine glass. "Quinn, welcome home."
"Thanks." Quinn clinked her glass against Vanessa’s and took a sip.
"So how long are you staying? Last time we talked, you said you were coming back to see that patient you had a crush on."
"Did you meet up with him?"
Quinn’s smile went flat. "Yeah. I saw him."
"And?"
"He is married."
Vanessa’s eyes went wide. "Mated?"
"Yeah."
Quinn had convinced herself she had a chance. For three years, every rumor about Alpha Dominic Wolfe said he was into men. She knew that was not true. She knew him better than anyone. She thought that gave her an opening.
Then she saw him with his wife. The way he looked at her. The way he touched her like she was the only woman in the world.
That shut the door fast.
"Forget him. He is mated. It is not like he is special. You are a catch, Quinn. You will find someone who actually deserves you."
Quinn did not tell Vanessa who the man was. He was too well known. Too powerful. She did not want to drag his name into it.
She just smiled and changed the subject.
"Thanks. What about you? I heard you are getting engaged at the end of the month. Is he worth it?"
Vanessa pressed her lips together. "He is fine. Under the circumstances, he is the best option I have. Although apparently he has a thing for some other woman."
"Does not matter. She is already mated. She is not a threat."
"The funny thing is, she came to my office today for a business meeting."
Vanessa let out a dry laugh. "I sent her away."
"Honestly, a woman who plays two men like that? She is trash."
Quinn’s brow furrowed for half a second, then smoothed out. "Alright. Let us not talk about things that upset you. Not tonight."
--
Elara got home and went straight to the study. Alpha Dominic leaned against the doorframe, looking like a kicked puppy.
"Wife, you done yet?"
Elara did not even look up. "Go to bed. I have work to do."
Alpha Dominic walked over and put both hands on the desk, boxing her in. The laptop screen glowed between them, covered in numbers and charts.
"Stop. I am really busy."
"Need help?" Alpha Dominic smiled.
"No. Go back to bed." Elara stood up and shoved him out of the study. Then she locked the door.
Alpha Dominic sighed on the other side. Well. No wife time tonight.
Elara spent the next few hours organizing their company’s financial reports and growth data from the last three years.
The conversations with the other two investors went okay, but neither could offer the full support she needed. So Elara wanted to try one more time.
She and Zack were done. It had been years. Vanessa should not still hold a grudge.
But if Vanessa would not work, maybe her brother Shane would. Shane Taylor had a solid reputation in the industry. He was not the type to let personal drama get in the way of business.
--
The next day, Elara got a meeting with Shane’s secretary.
The whole thing went smoothly. Shane seemed interested in Park Hotel Group.
"Elara, I will talk to my sister. For the contract signing, you can coordinate directly with her."
"Thank you, Mr. Taylor."
They shook hands. Elara headed for the elevator.
Vanessa spotted her from across the floor. She walked straight to her brother’s office.
"Shane, was that Elara you just met with?"
Shane looked at her calmly. "Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Park Hotel Group has strong growth potential. Plus, Elara is the Alpha King’s Luna. Working with them is good for us. You will handle the coordination with her."
"Shane, I do not want to."
Shane frowned. "Is this about Zack?"
"Vanessa, do not let emotions cloud your judgment. You and Zack are engaged. We are tied to Blackwood Pack, but that does not mean we need to make enemies with Wolfe Pack. In business, making enemies is the worst move. More allies mean more options."
"It is not about that," Vanessa said, annoyed.
But she knew Shane made up his mind, there was no changing it.
"Fine. I understand."
Shane finally smiled. "Good. I knew you would see the bigger picture. Take some time off after this is done. Did you not want to go to France for those exhibitions?"
Vanessa forced a smile and went back to her office.
Her secretary followed her in. "Miss Taylor, Elara from Park Hotel Group requested a meeting tomorrow."
"I am not available."
Vanessa paused. Then she added, "Tell her I am busy during the day. If she wants to meet, she can come to the auction venue tomorrow night."
"Understood."
When Elara got the message, she was not surprised. Vanessa wanted to flex. Make her wait. Prove a point.
Fine. Elara would let her have her little power trip. The company came first. A few hours of waiting was nothing.
Nancy hesitated. "I will go with you tonight."
"No need. Go home. Your dad just got out of the hospital. You should be with him."
Nancy’s eyes dimmed. Her brother asked her to come home for dinner tonight.
She did not want to go. She wanted to avoid it. But she could not say no.
"Okay. Call me if anything comes up. Take your assistant."
"I will."
